Shearwater ID help

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Neil Fitzgerald
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Shearwater ID help

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Thu Oct 26, 2017 8:25 pm

Erik Forsyth saw this bird on the Hauraki Gulf on the 25th (with Brett on Assassin). Erik wonders if it could be a juv pink-footed shearwater. Thoughts?

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Neil Fitzgerald
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Re: Shearwater ID help

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Thu Oct 26, 2017 8:59 pm

Paul G suggests Buller's.
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erikforsyth
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Re: Shearwater ID help

Postby erikforsyth » Thu Oct 26, 2017 11:56 pm

Hi all

i have a few other pics which show this bird feeding on chum amongst a group of flesh-footed shearwaters. In these pictures you can see straight away how pale this bird appears compared to the dark brown flesh-footed' s. I will try get these pics downloaded asap.

Best wishes
Erik forsyth
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Clinton9
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Re: Shearwater ID help

Postby Clinton9 » Fri Oct 27, 2017 12:18 am

Buller's shearwater. Fresh feathers were grey, but faded to brown. A dead Buller's shearwater found dead on May (autumn) had worn brown & pale brown plumage, but had many new bluish grey scapular & mantle feathers and worn unmoulted brown flight feathers.
Buller's shearwaters winters on sea, west of North America and around Hawaii.

Buller's shearwaters start to moult their flight feathers on March to May, and finish on July to September, with adults start to moult on May, and finish on September. juveniles start to moult their flight feathers on March and finish on July.
By October, adults are in fresh plumages and no moult, with silvery grey rump, mantle, scapulars, secondaries and primaries.

http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-m ... S-HRBP.htm

One adult Buller's shearwater had primaries 10th and secondaries 3rd and 4th and 13th, 14th are not fully grown on 23rd September 2012.

http://shearwaterjourneys.blogspot.co.n ... nchez.html

Adult Sooty shearwater had primaries 10th not filly grown on 23/9/2012.
Paul Scofield
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Re: Shearwater ID help

Postby Paul Scofield » Fri Oct 27, 2017 12:25 pm

So whats everyone's hypothesis? This is a Buller shearwater that is partially melanistic and partially leucistic???

An interesting idea but I think genetically impossible...

Bullers have a deathly white underwing but this one has a heavily mottled underwing.
Bullers have a slate grey bill this has a yellow/off white and black bill
Bullers have bi-coloured legs this ones are mostly pink
Bullers are grey and black above this one is brown

I agree with Erik this is a good candidate for a PFS but I don't think it is as PFS are a really bulky bird with a boffy head and a really pink base to the bill and even scruffy ones have a clear demarcation between the breast and the belly.

I toyed with a pale phase Wedgie but there are too many differences - I think that this is just a leucistic (gradual whitening) fleshy-foot.

P
Clinton9
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Re: Shearwater ID help

Postby Clinton9 » Fri Oct 27, 2017 10:11 pm

I think this is a rare melanistic Buller's shearwater.
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RussCannings
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Re: Shearwater ID help

Postby RussCannings » Sat Oct 28, 2017 9:48 am

It's a weird bird but I can't make it into anything other than a Bullers (legs/feet look fine, upperside pattern, crown/nape pattern, Bill shape). Just has that pale Bill and added brown for some reason. Intermediate WT and FF x BU hybrid crossed my mind but 'weird Bullers' just fits better to my eye.

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sav
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Re: Shearwater ID help

Postby sav » Sat Oct 28, 2017 10:21 am

I agree with Russ. That is to say, "I really don't know, but..."

If you just look at the structure and jizz of the bird it is a Buller's without doubt. The upperside pattern is Bullers.

What doesn't fit is the dirty brown underside, including the under-wing, and the pale bill (which I can't see any "yellow" in by the way, SCO??).

I think it is miles away from being a Pink-footed or Wedgetail, and even squinting really hard I can't make it look like a Fleshy.......

And you dont have to put a name to every bird you see anyway!

Cheers
Sav Saville
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Neil Fitzgerald
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Re: Shearwater ID help

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Sat Oct 28, 2017 5:10 pm

Additional photo from Erik:

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Davidthomas
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Re: Shearwater ID help

Postby Davidthomas » Sat Oct 28, 2017 5:20 pm

Yeah that last photo definitely screams aberrant Bullers to me. Curious bird though!

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